Liu Changdie had, after all, immersed himself in the dao of arrays for many years. With just two survey circuits below, he saw through the local ley line distribution. His eyes emitted a flash of resplendent, clear light.
This eye technique had actually been acquired from the Li family, known as the Clear-Eyed Spiritual Pupil, yet not a single member of the Li family had mastered it so far.
Conversely, Liu Changdie, with his array cultivation, was adept at earning spirit stones and had no clan to provide for. Roaming north and south to seek spiritual waters, he had spent over a decade to master it.
After examining the site up and down for a while, Liu Changdie settled on a grand array: the Azure Bull River-Nuzzling Array. It was a new array he had studied and learned in Linghai Commandery. It could draw upon the power of the lake waters surrounding Mount Qingdu, combining ley lines and water veins to ward off enemies.
Without the power of Foundation Establishment, it would take a long time to blast through this grand array; even before an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, it could hold out for half an hour. Among Qi Refinement arrays, it was exceptionally superb.
Arrays from Linghai Commandery often incorporated shamanic arts, possessing offensive capabilities alongside defense. The Azure Bull River-Nuzzling Array was no exception; relying on the grand array, one could evoke an azure bull of magical power to injure those attacking the formation.
Li Yuanjiao listened with great satisfaction. Upon asking for details, he learned that the array required a large quantity of dark bronze. The Li clan happened to possess such a mineral vein, saving them a sum of spirit stones, bringing the final cost to one hundred spirit stones.
"Brother Changdie is being far too polite!"
Li Yuanjiao frowned upon hearing this. If they truly settled on one hundred spirit stones, his family would instead owe Liu Changdie a favor. He insisted on pressing one hundred and fifteen spirit stones into his hands before letting the matter rest.
Liu Changdie stayed for several months, and the lush azure grand array had already risen over Mount Qingdu. Since Kong Yu had previously mentioned that a few minor peaks would swell up beside Mount Qingdu in a few years, Li Yuanjiao deliberately drew the perimeter a circle wider, reserving space for those minor peaks.
After drinking a celebratory toast and staying for half a month, Liu Changdie finally decided to head north into the territory of the Xiuyue Sect to study arrays and search for an opportunity for breakthrough.
The entanglements trailing Liu Changdie were simply too heavy. Although his words strongly hinted at a wish to remain with the Li family as a guest elder, Li Yuanjiao dared not accept him. He politely fended off the hints with amiable excuses, and together with Li Qinghong, escorted him out of their territory.
Reluctant to part, Liu Changdie bade Li Yuanjiao farewell and sighed deeply several times in his heart:
'We are no longer close... no longer close. The Li family has always been cautious. Now, without those ten-plus years of companionship, they do not trust me.'
Dispirited, he flew out of Lake Wangyue and drifted north.
As Li Yuanjiao and Li Qinghong escorted him past the border and crossed over the lake, they saw a monk with narrow eyes riding the wind toward them midair. Bringing his hands together in a salute, the monk congratulated him:
"Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on establishing your immortal foundation."
This person was naturally the monk Kongheng. Ever since lending the Li family a hand during the demonic calamity, he had remained cultivating on the lake. Though they knew not his purpose, the Li family had, after all, received his favor, so Li Yuanjiao could only reply warmly:
"Many thanks, Great Master."
Kongheng nodded and turned to Li Qinghong:
"During my travels across the realm, this humble monk once heard that there is a peak on the Xunlin Plain known as Tianlei Peak. If Benefactor plans to attempt a breakthrough, you may enter seclusion on that peak; perhaps it will prove beneficial."
Having said this, Kongheng offered an apology and drifted back down to the lake. Rolling up his trouser legs and dangling his large, pale head, he began digging up lotus roots by the shore. His cultivation technique was quite peculiar; perhaps having reached a bottleneck, he was rarely seen in secluded cultivation.
The brother and sister were bewildered, but could only continue riding the wind forward. Li Qinghong said in a low voice:
"What does this monk mean?"
Li Yuanjiao shook his head. By nature deeply suspicious and unwilling to trust others in his heart, his tone carried ample doubt as he merely answered:
"Who knows."
Li Qinghong paused and said softly:
"Send someone to take a look. If it's feasible, there's no harm in trying."
"Xunlin Plain is the Yuan family's domain. If it truly is as this monk says, we can notify the Yuan family, and breaking through on that peak wouldn't be a bad idea..."
Talking as they went, the two returned to the peak and dispatched a messenger to the Yuan family to gather information. Li Qinghong went down to cultivate and adjust her breath, while Li Yuanjiao retrieved the Foundation Establishment array disc from his storage bag, quietly calculating against the pig demon in Mount Dali.
'Ridding ourselves of this beast swiftly will allow me to request white registers for both Ximing and Xijun, and will also clear the expansive northern foothills for gathering qi and harvesting herbs, easing our clan's finances considerably.'
Li Yuanjiao waited a few days, and a reply from the Yuan family soon arrived—Yuan Huyuan had come in person.
Yuan Huyuan possessed peak Qi Refinement cultivation. His expression was exceedingly complex, tinged even with shame. Landing on Mount Qingdu, he stared blankly at Li Yuanjiao and mumbled:
"You truly have established your foundation!"
Li Yuanjiao did not understand why his reaction was so exaggerated and merely responded:
"Yuanjiao greets Senior..."
He naturally could not fathom the shock reverberating within Yuan Huyuan's heart.
When Yuan Huyuan first arrived at Lake Wangyue, Li Chijing had merely been at peak Embryonic Breathing, and Li Tongya had not even broken through the Yujing Wheel.
Afterward, Li Chijing became a sword immortal, and Li Tongya forged his immortal foundation—feats Yuan Huyuan had already found hard to believe. Now, Li Yuanjiao, a junior of juniors, had actually broken through to Foundation Establishment. How could this old man not be shaken to his core?
Only after Li Yuanjiao called him several times did Yuan Huyuan snap back to his senses. He let out a long sigh:
"It is my own endless hesitation... blindly waiting for that opportunity, wasting year after year! To think it has come to this!"
After sighing, his expression grew much firmer, and he thought to himself:
'As soon as I return this time, I will attempt Foundation Establishment!'
Having made up his mind, his entire demeanor transformed. Smiling warmly, he cupped his hands and replied:
"Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on breaking through to Foundation Establishment!"
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Yuan Huyuan finally broached the topic:
"Regarding what your esteemed clan asked us to look into, I have already checked. There is indeed a peak on the Xunlin Plain called Tianlei Peak. Within the peak lies a lightning ore vein; hence, year in and year out, it suffers lightning strikes, leaving the entire mountain scorched black from top to bottom."
"Jiangnan has very few lightning cultivators, so our family did not think of that place right away, or we would have notified your esteemed clan long ago..."
Yuan Huyuan spoke polite platitudes, which Li Yuanjiao did not take to heart. He nodded in agreement, having made up his mind:
'Once the pig demon is eliminated, I will escort Qinghong to the Xunlin Plain for seclusion.'
Having delivered the information, Yuan Huyuan presented a few spiritual gifts of moderate value and inquired about this and that, demonstrating the Yuan family's friendly stance. Li Yuanjiao naturally understood and responded warmly. Once both had played their parts in the routine, Yuan Huyuan smiled:
"You are too courteous, worthy nephew. Seeing your esteemed clan flourishing gives me great peace of mind."
With that, he prepared to ride the wind away. As Li Yuanjiao escorted him toward the border, thoughts churned in his mind:
'This pig demon is at the mid Foundation Establishment stage, certainly not an enemy I can defeat alone. I still need to find a helper.'
Li Yuanjiao had originally been unwilling to act in such haste. Ideally, he would have waited until Li Qinghong succeeded in Foundation Establishment, then invited another person so three could combine forces to subdue it.
Unfortunately, a Foundation Establishment array disc was rare, and there was no telling when Kong Tingyun would send someone to retrieve it. Without this array, let alone three people besieging it, it would take four or five to keep the beast from escaping.
He turned the matter over in his mind. He had initially considered asking someone from the Xiao family, but felt that constantly pleading to the Xiao clan for everything lately would inevitably make them look down upon him.
'Uncle Xuanfeng also obtained a Suiyuan Pill. Though refined from human lives and forbidden to us by oath and clan precepts, it can be used to hire someone's aid! There is even plenty of leeway to trade it for other things.'
Looking at Yuan Huyuan beside him, Li Yuanjiao probed:
"Senior, are you planning to attempt Foundation Establishment?"
"Worthy nephew guesses correctly," Yuan Huyuan replied with a smile. "A man over a hundred years old, mocked by his juniors. I have lived long enough in this life; if I do not try for Foundation Establishment, how could I be reconciled?"
Li Yuanjiao said in a low voice:
"Does Senior have any secret methods or pills to assist you?"
Yuan Huyuan hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding. "My Yuan family naturally has some. We have a dedicated secret realm, with incantations and pills complementing one another; raising the chances by five percent is no issue."
The Yuan family was a prominent centuries-old clan, possessing deep heritage. Li Yuanjiao nodded at this and asked:
"I have heard that the Suiyuan Pill has the power to aid in Foundation Establishment. Has your clan prepared one?"
Yuan Huyuan sighed softly and raised an eyebrow at him, speaking ambiguously:
"Worthy nephew... the Suiyuan Pill is no ordinary pill..."
Li Yuanjiao nodded slightly. Seeing that he seemed aware of the inside story, Yuan Huyuan spoke more plainly:
"Ordinary pills wouldn't have been controlled so tightly by Jinyu and Qingchi for so many years. The Suiyuan Pill... has many refining methods. Some methods boost the chances by far more than five percent. Our family naturally does not have one."
Li Yuanjiao transmitted his voice with magical power:
"If Senior needs one, my family can provide Senior with a pill."
Completely unprepared for this, Yuan Huyuan's face changed drastically, his heart thumping wildly. Stunned for several breaths, he asked suspiciously:
"Qinghong is about to attempt a breakthrough. Could she not need it?"
Li Yuanjiao shook his head with a smile. "Senior worries overmuch; our clan already has arrangements."
Yuan Huyuan nodded thoughtfully. Unable to resist the temptation, he said nervously:
"Worthy nephew, let me see the quality of the pill..."
Li Yuanjiao was quite at ease with Yuan Huyuan. He himself was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, while Yuan Huyuan was merely at peak Qi Refinement. He took out a jade vial, tipped it in his palm, and a pill floated out gently.
The pill was lustrous white with muted patterns, faintly marked by several gray lines, exuding waves of heady fragrance that made one dizzy. Yuan Huyuan's eyes shone brightly, and he exclaimed:
"Good! Wonderful!"
Then he hurriedly asked:
"What are fellow Daoist's terms!"
Weighing things in his mind, Li Yuanjiao could not immediately think of what the clan urgently needed, so he tossed the ball back into Yuan Huyuan's court, saying softly:
"That depends on what Senior can offer."
Seeing that he was not joking, Yuan Huyuan beamed with joy and patted his chest in assurance:
"Cultivation methods, pills, magical artifacts... these are the things my family lacks least. If fellow Daoist has a need, I can also rely on our connections within the sect to procure them for you!"
Yuan Huyuan could not discern his exact needs or bottom line and refrained from making an opening bid. Li Yuanjiao narrowed his eyes in thought, then asked:
"Can fellow Daoist obtain Tianyi Pure Element?"
Tianyi Pure Element was among the most precious varieties of spiritual water. Not only was it a top-tier holy medicine for healing, but it could also purify true essence and improve one's Dao foundation, transforming a miscellaneous qi cultivator into an orthodox qi cultivator.
The Li family had no miscellaneous qi cultivators who needed such a thing; the secret art Li Qinghong cultivated culminated in the Xuanlei Pool, and Li Yuanjiao had thought to seek it for his younger sister to elevate her Dao foundation.
Only after speaking did Li Yuanjiao recall that the Purple Lightning Secret Origin Method had also been modified; if her Dao foundation were truly altered, it might inadvertently sever her Dao path.
On his end, Yuan Huyuan shook his head repeatedly and answered:
"Fellow Daoist overestimates me! This Tianyi Pure Element is an elemental water at the Violet Palace level; likely only someone in the Three Sects would possess it in their collection. If any ancestor had obtained something capable of purifying a Dao foundation, they would have swallowed it themselves long ago. How could it ever be left behind for descendants?"
Li Yuanjiao had no choice but to drop the idea, asking instead:
"Does your esteemed clan possess any method for rearing spirit beasts and taming demonic creatures?"
Li Yuanjiao, it seemed, still had that hook snake on his mind.
After all, the hook snake was a rare Foundation Establishment combat force, had no powerful background to worry about, was easy to manipulate, and the cold qi it exhaled could assist his family in cultivating the Tujun Sunflower Light. It was truly enticing.
Yuan Huyuan was taken aback by this peculiar request and asked in return:
"A lesser demon or a monster general?"
Seeing that Yuan Huyuan seemed to genuinely possess such means, Li Yuanjiao was overjoyed and replied repeatedly:
"A monster general! A Foundation Establishment beast!"
Yuan Huyuan pondered carefully for a while, then said:
"Fellow Daoist... my clan indeed has a method, only... it is exceedingly difficult."
"Oh?"
Li Yuanjiao pressed eagerly. Yuan Huyuan explained:
"An ancestor of my clan once traveled far to the north and obtained a legacy in a Buddhist temple called the Six Weirs Life-Binding Art. It is a fourth-grade spell capable of suppressing demonic beasts and controlling their spiritual nature."
"However, this method has two drawbacks."
Yuan Huyuan shook his head:
"First, it costs immensely. It requires six precious spiritual items to serve as offerings. Back then, casting it just once required ninety spirit stones; now, being far from the north where materials are dearer, it might take a hundred."
"Second, it requires a life-binding medium, preferably far superior in grade to the demon itself. Otherwise, not only will the spiritual items be wasted, but the life-binding medium will also be entirely consumed."
Yuan Huyuan said awkwardly:
"My family could not obtain Violet Palace spiritual medicines and only used Foundation Establishment precious herbs to bind the life. We wasted two before succeeding, losing a total of seven or eight hundred spirit stones throughout the process. Since then, our clan lost all enthusiasm, and rarely has anyone used this method to bind demons."
Had the Li clan not also been a prominent cultivation family on friendly terms with the Yuan family, with much business between them in the future, Yuan Huyuan would never have explained it so transparently. Even so, once the transaction was completed, any loss would not be his family's concern.
"So that's how it is."
Li Yuanjiao put on a troubled face, though his heart stirred with excitement. He feigned hesitation:
"Alas! Why must it be so difficult to bind!"
Yuan Huyuan shook his head in deep empathy, thinking to himself:
'A secret art is not like a pill or magical artifact. Handing it over means an external leak of heritage, and it won't be easy to ask the Old Ancestor. It's better if he gives up on this idea.'
Unexpectedly, Li Yuanjiao took one look at his expression, cut off his hesitations immediately, assumed a decisive air, and said in a deep voice:
"My clan backs onto Mount Dali; precious herbs can always be sought again, so it poses no great hurdle. Let us trade for this secret art!"
Yuan Huyuan could only nod. Then Li Yuanjiao added:
"Just this secret art alone is not enough."
Looking pained, Yuan Huyuan replied:
"What else does fellow Daoist want?"
"Two methods for harvesting cold qi! They must not duplicate my clan's arts."
Yuan Huyuan shook his head:
"One, and no more. Qi-harvesting methods are closely guarded clan secrets. Offering one common method is fine, but we absolutely cannot trade them in bulk."
"Agreed!"
Li Yuanjiao smiled and continued:
"However, I must also trouble Senior to invite a Foundation Establishment cultivator from your family to join me in capturing a Foundation Establishment beast, so that I can cast this secret art, no?"
Yuan Huyuan started slightly. Looking at Li Yuanjiao's earnest expression, he nodded and replied:
"That is no big deal either; it is merely having a cultivator from our clan make a trip."
Chapter 383